While the SAVE Act aims to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections, it’s a drastic overreaction to a negligible problem. Evidence shows noncitizen voting is extremely rare; studies found mere dozens of instances out of millions of votes cast. The bill’s requirement for in-person documentary proof of citizenship (passport or birth certificate with photo ID), excluding common IDs and online submissions, will severely harm our election systems and disenfranchise millions.
This in-person mandate will cripple third-party voter registration drives, vital for reaching underserved communities and new voters, leading to a significant drop in registration. It will also render online voter registration, used in most states, useless, overwhelming election officials with increased workloads and costs as they revert to in-person processes.
Most alarmingly, the SAVE Act is discriminatory. Passport ownership is tied to income and education, disproportionately affecting lower-income and less-educated individuals. Birth certificate requirements pose issues, especially for married women with name changes. The in-person requirement creates barriers for those with limited transportation, voters with disabilities, seniors, and rural residents.
I hope other constituents are reaching out to Sens. Lee and Curtis to let them know the SAVE Act is a misguided solution to a phantom problem. It will cripple voter registration, burden election officials, and disenfranchise millions of eligible Americans due to document access and in-person requirements. The Senate should reject this harmful bill.
Chris Morgan, Ogden
Donate to the newsroom now. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax deductible